Le Tour Picks Back Up - The Final Six Days Begin

I've got 20 minutes to get this written and posted today, so the keys are clicking at record pace and proofreading will have to be spurned. Shame on me - proofreading and editing are always important, but sometimes life (and the clock) doesn't permit a do-over. 

No do-overs in today's blog, so I hope there aren't any massive
typos or factual inaccuracies. 

We're back to Le Tour de France today, entering the final six days of competition - two days on the "flats", three days in the majestic Alps, and the final ride into Paris and sprint on the "Champ". Chickie was on her way back home yesterday and probably arrived back at her house late last night. She'll spend today recovering from her trip and be in the shop to work on Wednesday. That means I actually get a "day off" this week, and my Manager only has to work two more days before he gets the rest of the week off. Vacations really mess with our schedules! 

Today's stage is a loop from Nimes to Nimes, 177 kilometers
of relatively "flat" riding. Usually they put a stage like
this on the tour between the Alps and Paris. This year they're
having the riders do the big mountains and then move
directly to the final stage and the podiums. It's a strange
stage today. 

So - as we enter this final week of Le Tour, we're crossing back over the central portion of southern France to move from the mountains of the Pyrenees towards the giants of the Alps. The Pyrenees were exciting - their narrow roads and crowds of enthusiastic fans didn't disappoint. Going through the Pyrenees is like pushing your way through a crowd at a carnival. Going through the Alps is a bit more civilized - moving through a popular exhibit - crowded, but less intrusive. I can hardly wait for Thursday and our first mountain stage on these grand peaks. 

Today we focus on that little loop on the lower section, heading
east. I'm not really sure why they did another loop, it's not
a time trial or a similar thing, but I guess they had a day
but didn't want to actually push into the second group of
mountains quite yet. Still, it's a rather silly. 

So, I'm dashing off to the gym, and I'm actually finished on time! It's a total shock, I know - LOL. Have a truly excellent Tuesday and I'll be back with an update and who knows what else, tomorrow.